FERRIDAY, La. — An attorney for Ferriday mayoral candidate Gene Allen said he plans to appeal a Tuesday ruling that disqualifies Allen based on his residency.

&uot;There is overwhelming evidence that shows Mr. Allen spends most of his time at the funeral home … (but) that doesn’t make it his place of residence,&uot;&160;said retired Judge Alfred A. Mansour.

Mansour disqualified Allen, saying the funeral home director has not lived in Ferriday for at least a year.

Allen’s attorney, state Sen. Charles Jones, of Monroe, said he will file an appeal today with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Allen will remain a candidate until his appeals have been exhausted, according to the Concordia Parish Clerk of Court’s Office.

Under state law, a person must be a resident of a town for one year to run for mayor. Allen argued that he lives at his business, Concordia Funeral Home in Ferriday, as well as a house at Lake St. John and has many of the comforts of home, such as clothing, a sleeper sofa and kitchen appliances, at his business.

But Friday, candidates Justin Conner and Glen McGlothin filed suits saying Allen did not meet the residency requirement. And after about three hours of testimony from several witnesses, Mansour said he believes the lake house is Allen’s only residence.

He noted that papers Allen filed last September to run for re-election to the Concordia Parish Police Jury’s District 1, Place B seat showed his address as 2962 Louisiana 569, which is on the lake outside Ferriday town limits.

&uot;Those qualifying papers are just one piece of evidence,&uot;&160;Jones said.

Allen would not comment.

Also Tuesday, Mansour said Elijah Banks can run for Ferriday’s District D council seat because Banks lives at his nightclub, which is in District D. Incumbent Sammy Davis Jr., who filed suit Friday challenging Banks’ qualifications, said he won’t appeal.

In the complaint, Davis said Banks actually lives on Tennessee Avenue, which is in another district. But Mansour found that Banks does live at his business, Club Steppers on E.E. Wallace Boulevard in Ferriday.

Banks’ girlfriend, who lives at the Tennessee Avenue home owned by Banks, and Banks’ friend Calvin Jackson testified that Banks lives at the business.